Automatic safety device for motor-vehicle starters



' R. E. ROSS AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE STARTERS Filed Feb. 1925 Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

. UNITED STATES ROBERT E. ROSS, EL IPASO, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY nnvrcn non Moron-vEH IcLE s rnn'rnns.

Application filed February 16, 1925. Serial No. 9,623.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, ROBERT E, Ross, a citizen of the United States, res mg at El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Safety Devices for Motor-Vehicle Starters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in motor vehicles and it relates more particularliyl to the starting mechanism thereon.

In t

foot plunger is epressed which makes electrical connection with a motor to revolve,

or start, the engine. At the same time this circuit is connected to operate the starting motor, a small gear on this motor engages with a larger gear onthe fly wheel or engine gear mechanism. It frequently occurs that this foot plunger is accidently or otherwise again depressed while the engine is running and this strips or tears off some of the gears. I V It is the object of theinvention to obviate and relieve the possibility of thus stripping "or breaking these gears by the arrangement of a locking device connected in and operated by the oil pressure. of the lubricating system of the vehicle. I

Another object of the invention isto provide such an arrangement which is positive and automatic in its action'and which may be attached to any type of motor vehicle with .a pressure lubricatin system.

rovides means for releasing t e device when the The invention furt er automatically engine is inoperative.

The invention Will be more clearly understoo'd'by reference to the following description,.taken in connection with the accompanyin drawings, forming part hereof and "in whic Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 are, cross-sectional viewson lines 2-'2 to 55 respectively.

Continuing the description of the invention and referring'to its various parts more in detail, 1 denotes the floor-boardof a 'motorvehicle and 2 the foot plunger vertically slidable therein whereby when' this plunger is depressed, it will close the usual e operation of starting a motorthe bolts 4'and 4.

' this switch for an electrical starting system of the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle to which it is applied, but when this plunger is in its raised position, as illus-. trated in Figure 1, the switch will be opened and the purpose of the invention is to provide a locking means for retaining this plunger in its elevated position while the engine is running, to prevent the switch of the starting system from being closed and the latter brought intoloperation at that time.

This locking device comprises a base plate 2* secured to the lower face of the floor boards 1 of the motor vehicle by means of Formed with and arranged at one end of this base plate is a cylinder or housing 3,'in which is slidably mounted a piston. The opposite ends of cylinder are closed'bymeans of the end plates 3" and 3".-

Within the housing is arranged a piston rod 5, one end of which at 6 is' reduced .in diameter and carries a seat 7 for a spring 8, the opposite end of the spring bearing against one endof the housing. The piston slidah lewithin the cylinder 3 comprises this late 7 and a plate 10 having arranged there etween a packing disk 9, which are 1 all retained upon the reduced threaded end of the piston rod by means of the nut 11.

Formed with the base plate Q and spaced from the cylinder 3 is'a guide way or block portion or free end 12 of the-piston rod- 5. It will be seen "that the free end 12 of the piston rod 5 is squared and projects beyond the guide-way. and on its extremity is cut on an oblique line to provide a sharp edge 13 to engage in a notch 14 in the foot plunger One end of the housing 3 has achamber 15 which permits oil under pressure from the lubricating system to enter through pipe connection or tubinglt}, this tubing being connected to the chamber entrance at the nipple 17. N

When the engine of .the motor vehicle is running, the loo will enter the chamber 15 of the c linder 3 mg means will be in a posi- 'tion as is illustrated in Figure 1, wherein the 5 7 through the tubing 16 and cause t e piston therein to slide towards the upper or lefthand end of the cylinder 3. Aspressure upon the switch plunger 2 has been released, it will automatically rise, thereby breaking the switch included in the engine electrical starting system or to the position as illustrated, and the pressure upon the piston will also force its rod outwardly until the pawl or detent 13 engages the notch 14 of the glaunger 2, at which time, this plunger will locked or retained, against bemg depressed. When the engine of the motor vehicle is at rest, the oil pressure will cease and the spring 8 will expand, causin the piston to travel to the lower end 0 the cylinder, thereb releasing the pawl 13 from engagement with the plunger 2 and permitting the latter to be depressed for closing the switch included in the engine electrical starting system. i

What is claimed is:

l A locking device of the character described comprising a base plate adapted to be secured beneath the floor board of a motor vehicle, a cylinder formed with one end thereof, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder, a rod for said piston and extending from one end of said cylinder, a coil spring for normally holding said piston in one position, a guide block formed with and arranged at the opposite end of said base plate, a squared ortion of said piston rod slidably mounted within said guide block, a pawl formed on the end thereof, adapted to en age a coacting notch formed in the shaft 0 the starter pedal, and a tube communicating with one end of said cylinder whereby the oil pressure of 'an' engine lubricating system may enter said cyhnder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

' ROBERT E. ROSS. 

